Hamlet: The actor impressed the Queen first over 30 years ago when she saw him play Hamlet at RADA

The Northern Ireland-born actor first found fame in the television mini-series Fortunes Of War, during which he met his first wife, Emma Thompson, before going on to star in Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing and Frankenstein, which he also directed.

More recently he has been seen on our television screens as Swedish detective Wallander on the BBC.

Over the years he has been nominated for five academy awards and won three BAFTAs and was knighted in the Queen's birthday honours in June.

Proud family: The actor was joined by his wife Lindsay, brother Bill and sister Joyce as he received the honour at Buckingham Palace

Speaking after his investiture for
services to drama and the community of Northern Ireland, the
Belfast-born star said: ‘I'm so very pleased this has happened in the
year of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics and the Paralympics.

‘It's been a hell of a year for the UK and I feel very honoured to be a tiny part of this part of it.’

Sir
Kenneth, whose film art director wife, Lindsay Brunnock, was among
those at the ceremony, joins the likes of Alec Guinness, Michael Caine,
Patrick Stewart, Ben Kingsley and Laurence Olivier in becoming a
thespian knight.

He
joked he was acting a bit ‘showbiz’ after the investiture - by jumping
on a motorbike back to Pinewood Studios, where he is directing Jack
Ryan, the latest in the long-running film adaptation of Tom Clancy's spy
thriller novels.

Back to work: After the ceremony the actor headed back to Pinewood Studios, where he is currently directing a film adaptation of Jack Ryan